To Breathe Your Breath
by Blossomwitch
Summary: When Kurama is injured Hiei saves him with... a kiss? Yaoi, obviously.
1. Chapter 1

To Breathe Your Breath  
Rating: Pg 13  
Pairing: Hiei/Kurama  
A/N: This was the first YYH idea I wrote notes on but it's taken me a while to get to the actual writing. The title is from the same song by Sarah McLachlan that I use in my fic Possession, coming soon. This first chapter is a little confusing and very short, but I promise the rest will make more sense.

To Breathe Your Breath

"Hiei!"

Yusuke's call was desperate. Hiei and Kuwabara had tracked down their errant teammates a moment too late; the demon was destroyed. But that wasn't why Yusuke was calling.

"Get your ass over here!" Yusuke continued, but Hiei had already gotten to Kurama. Yusuke was on his hands and knees, blood dripping from half a dozen wounds, but Kurama was on his back just as bloody, unconscious, and struggling to breathe.

"Can you give him some of your energy?" Yusuke asked, struggling to stay conscious against his own wounds. Normally he wouldn't have asked Hiei such a thing, but in this case his words came too late, because by the time he finished asking Hiei was already trying to transfer some of his strength to their teammate. But even as Hiei's energy flared, Kurama's breathing stopped.

"_No!"_ Yusuke shouted, pounding his fists against the floor. Hiei was still, seeming frozen; Kuwabara halted in his progress towards them, mouth gaping in shock.

"I should have..." But before Yusuke could start in on his litany of self-abuse, Hiei lunged forward and suddenly pressed his lips against Kurama's.

Yusuke and Kuwabara stared, too bewildered and admittedly weirded out by the sight of Hiei kissing Kurama's lifeless body to say or do anything. The moment seemed frozen in time.

Then, Kuwabara gasped. "What's up?" Yusuke asked urgently.

"I don't know, but something's happening. Something big. There's all kinds of weird energy around them."

The boys looked back at the strange kiss taking place in front of them. Hiei didn't move at all, simply kept his lips pressed against Kurama's, and the energy built until even Yusuke could feel it - until, so slowly neither Yusuke nor Kuwabara was certain they saw it, Kurama arched into the kiss.

Then Hiei suddenly pulled away and flopped onto the ground, panting as though he'd run ten miles. Kurama coughed once and then started panting exactly as Hiei was.

"Okay... who wants to explain what happened?" Yusuke demanded.

Neither demon responded, apparently too exhausted to do so. Kuwabara took a step closer to Yusuke. "Hey, Urameshi, you okay?"

"Never better. Why, do I look injured or something?"

"Or something."

"Um..."

All heads turned as a new voice entered the conversation. Botan was standing in the doorway, looking extremely nervous and biting one of her fingernails. She was looking at Hiei. "That... wasn't very wise."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in update; I wish I could say the next chapter would come sooner but I doubt it. Work is nasty. :(**

**Chapter 2**

**For a moment everything was silent. Then Hiei said, "Kurama."**

**"Yes?"**

**"Would you _mind_ not breathing so hard?" Whatever was wrong, it was not that serious, as Hiei sounded normal - pissed.**

**"Sorry." Kurama slowed his rapid breathing - and so did Hiei.**

**Botan made another nervous noise, and Kurama lifted his head off the floor enough to give her something that would have been a glare coming from anyone but him. "If you believe you are here to arrest us, you are operating under a serious misconception."**

**"I am _not_ going back to jail," Hiei concurred, giving his own rather fiercer glare.**

**"But... well, I mean, this wasn't exactly done quietly... everyone will find out!"**

**"Find out what?" Kuwabara asked.**

**"Yeah, mind letting us in here?" Yusuke added, aggravated.**

**"They've broken the law!" Botan squeaked.**

**"We have not," Kurama said firmly. "I assure you, Botan, nothing illegal has happened here."**

**"Even if that's true, Koenma _can't_ just sit back and ignore this, it'll look like he's favoring you!"**

**"I believe it is standard practice to make an inquiry in cases such as this," Kurama said calmly. "Perhaps Hiei and I could remain in Spirit World while that inquiry is being made. As guests, of course," he added firmly. **

**"I... suppose that might work..." Botan said hesitantly. Hiei grunted. **

**"Hiei, please," Kurama said softly.**

**Everyone watched Hiei. "Fine," he finally said sourly. "We'll need to recover somewhere; I suppose Koenma can prove himself useful for once."**

**"Excellent, it's all settled then!" Botan said brightly. "Everyone aboard who's coming!"**

**And the next thing Yusuke knew, Hiei and Kurama had been carted off to Spirit World, leaving him and Kuwabara behind.**

**Two hours later a harrassed and irritated Yusuke barged into Koenma's office, flanked by Kuwabara. "What the hell is going on?" Yusuke demanded.**

**"Yusuke, what do you mean by barging in like this? You made me spill my paperwork!"**

**"To hell with your paperwork! Why did Botan take Kurama and Hiei off like that without telling us anything? Kurama stopped breathing, Koenma! I want some answers. Is this like one of those one of the three people who misses you most has to kiss you kind of things?" In the time it had taken them to get themselves to Spirit World that was the only theory Kuwabara and Yusuke had managed to come up with. **

**"It's nothing like that," Koenma said stiffly. "Hiei's in a great deal of trouble. What he did is illegal and there's only so many times I can bend the rules for him, or wipe his criminal record."**

**"How is a kiss illegal?" Yusuke demanded. **

**"It's not just any kiss; it's called the Kiss of Life." Koenma rubbed his forehead, looking irritated. "I should have known I would have to explain this to you two."**

**"Well somebody better!"**

**"Calm down, Yusuke! No one's going to jail." Koenma rubbed his forehead again. "Kurama insists it was consensual, and while I don't believe him for an instant it does give me an out..."**

**"Out from what?" Kuwabara asked. **

**"I just told you, it's illegal." Koenma sighed. "The Kiss of Life is an ancient demon practice that literally melds a part of two demons' life force together. People who have shared this kiss will forever breathe in sync with each other, and their hearts will beat as one. If one of them is injured the other will feel half the pain, and if one dies the other will too even if there isn't a scratch on his body."**

**Yusuke and Kuwabara were silent. Koenma continued, oblivious or uncaring to their shock. "It was made illegal a few centuries ago because it was being used so unscrupulously. Once someone starts to administer the kiss there's no stopping it. Oftentimes the person receiving it has no choice. Assassins will force underlings to administer the kiss and then commit suicide, taking the other with them. Jealous lovers will use the kiss to kill or maim their partners; worst of all, demons will administer the kiss to someone's parent or child to force them to do things they wouldn't normally do. Even demons will stand up for their children." Koenma rubbed his forehead. "There are only two circumstances in which the kiss is legal. One is a consensual kiss between lovers, which you really can't outlaw even though it so often goes bad later on. The other is to save somebody's life."**

**"Wait, why didn't Hiei just die?" Kuwabara asked.**

**"Because the wound would have to be greater than Hiei and Kurama's demon energies combined to kill them. Any wound either of them receives from now on will be halved between them."**

**"And the shrimp did that for Kurama?"**

**"Yes, and it's going to get him into a fair bit of trouble if Kurama and I don't do some fast thinking."**

**"But you just said it was okay to use it to save someone's life!" Yusuke protested.**

**"Only if prior consent was given. Usually in that situation the two demons who agreed to use it if one of them was in danger of dying will have some sort of proof, but Hiei and Kurama can't produce anything. Frankly, I don't believe for a second that they agreed to this maneuver beforehand. Hiei would never do something like that."**

**"Uh, news flash, Koenma: Hiei just _did_ something like that."**

**"I know. Which makes this case all the more difficult to deal with. There's nothing in Hiei's personality profile that indicates a willingness to share his soul with anybody, even Kurama. If we can't prove that this was agreed upon beforehand, your friends could be in some serious trouble."**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I'm not sure they're up," Botan said fretfully, leading Yusuke and Kuwabara down one of Spirit World's innumerable hallways.

"Whaddaya mean up?" Kuwabara wanted to know.

"Well, they're probably sleeping. The Kiss is exhausting."

"Just how common is this kiss thing?" Yusuke asked.

"Not very common at all. Frankly I'm surprised Hiei even knew how to do it. Demons don't take well to the idea of sharing someone's soul."

Yusuke thought about that for a minute. "Hey, well maybe that proves that they agreed to it beforehand."

"But it just doesn't make sense! Kurama's too intelligent to agree to this without leaving any kind of proof. At the very least he would have told you two so you could vindicate him and Hiei if this happened."

"Hey, Kurama's word should be good enough for anybody," Yusuke said staunchly. Botan only sighed and led them on in silence.

She stopped in front of a non-descript door and knocked lightly. No one answered. "I think we'd better go," she said nervously.

But Yusuke stepped forward and tried the handle, and when it opened for him he stepped in, calling out softly. "Guys?" Kuwabara followed him in, and after a moment's hesitation so did Botan.

The room was dark, and it took their eyes a moment to adjust. When they could see they found two figures curled up on a sofa, the smaller reclining against the larger, both breathing slowly and peacefully.

"I _told_ you they would be asleep," Botan hissed.

"My apologies." Everyone jumped slightly and looked at the couch. Kurama had opened his eyes and was regarding them levelly. He spoke quietly. "I haven't been asleep, but Hiei has. I don't wish to disturb him."

"Can you come out and talk to us?" Yusuke whispered.

"I can't talk much. It disturbs his breathing."

There was a surprised pause. "Okay, so we'll do most of the talking," Yusuke said, recovering first.

"Agreed." Kurama carefully slipped out from under Hiei's torso, lowering his friend gently to the couch and waiting to see if he stirred before following the others out.

"How do you feel?" Yusuke asked first.

"I feel fine. A little sore, and a headache. But well." Kurama spoke in short sentences broken up by long inhales, clearly attempting to maintain a sleep-like breathing pattern.

"Boy, this breathing thing is really weird," Kuwabara said. "If like one of you was running a marathon would the other one start breathing really fast?"

"Yes."

"Wow. What if one of you was having sex or something?"

"Kuwabara!" Botan smacked him lightly.

"I imagine so," Kurama said with a light smile.

"What if--"

"Stop it," Botan said crossly. "Kurama, are you really okay?"

"I'm fine. We are both fine."

"What will you tell Koenma?"

"The truth. It was agreed upon."

The door opened. Everyone looked over and then down slightly to find a cranky looking Hiei scowling at them. Without a word Hiei reached out, grabbed Kurama's tunic, hauled the fox inside, gave everybody a last glare, and closed the door. The lock clicked.

"Feels almost like we've been told to get out or something, doesn't it?" Yusuke remarked.

"Or something," Botan agreed. "Come on, you two. I'm not in the mood to see if sharing Kurama's soul has increased the power of Hiei's dragon."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry the chapters are turning out so short, the story just seems to want to be written this way.

Chapter Four

"That wasn't entirely necessary, Hiei. You could have just said you wanted to go back to sleep."

"Hn," Hiei grunted. "What did _they_ want?"

"Mostly to know if we were both alright."

"And if we were going to jail, no doubt."

"Well, yes."

"Have you disillusioned Koenma on that point?"

"Well, we didn't talk very much after you went to sleep. It makes me tired too." Kurama was polite enough to phrase what had happened as _went to sleep_ as opposed to _passed out._ "We have an official hearing tomorrow; the disillusioning will have to take place then."

"And how do we go about that?" Kurama was silent. "Come on, fox. You're the one who actually cares about that sort of thing."

"It's only our word that protects us now," Kurama said slowly. "We'll have to hope Koenma is feeling lenient."

"Hn. He'll feel lenient or he'll feel pain," Hiei muttered, moving over to stare out the window.

Kurama watched him in silence. He opened his mouth to speak once, but apparently decided better of it. Hiei leaned against the windowsill, staring out over Spirit World. After a long silence, Kurama got up and moved to stand behind him. Gently but without explanation he began running his fingers through Hiei's hair, feeling his scalp.

"What in hell are you doing, Kurama?" Hiei asked, without much heat.

"Checking for injury. My head is hurting. Why didn't you tell me about this?" Kurama asked, finding and fingering a large bruise.

Hiei hissed and pulled away. "None of your damn business."

"It is now, Hiei."

Hiei scowled. "I have to inform you of every injury I take? You didn't say anything about your twisted ankle, you just let me limp."

"My apologies, I didn't think of it. Perhaps we had better get into the habit of telling each other when we're injured, even if it's insignificant."

"Hn."

There was another silence, more strained than the last. "What do you want to know, fox?" Hiei finally asked dully.

Kurama's hands hovered over Hiei's shoulders, debating; then he set them down gently. "Did we ever talk about this?"

"About..."

"The Kiss of Life."

"Not that I can recall."

"Nor can I."

"Well, then I guess we didn't."

"Then..."

Hiei reached up with his right hand and touched the hand on his shoulder. "Because I didn't know what I'd do without you. And because I'm occasionally quite stupid."

Kurama paused, unsure how to take his answer. "Do you regret it, then?"

Hiei paused before answering. "No. Though it's been truly annoying having to share your breath so far, I'd be much more annoyed to have you dead."

Kurama's mouth quirked like he had almost smiled. "Well, thank you... I think."

They stood in renewed silence. Hiei's face had an uncomfortable look on it, but Kurama couldn't see it. After a moment, Hiei reached up and placed his other hand on top of Kurama's, leaning back against him slightly. Kurama smiled gently; he slid his hands forward, gently embracing Hiei. Hiei's expression cleared. Gradually he let his eyes drift shut, and Kurama's smile widened. In tune with Hiei's body as he now was, he was able to catch Hiei the exact moment he fell back into sleep and carry him back to the couch.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the long update time, I've been having horrible writer's block. Partially due to that, and partially due to other nibbling plot bunnies, you can expect this story to wrap up in another chapter or two.

Chapter 5

Hiei enjoyed the hearing the next day immensely. It consisted mostly of himself glaring while the fox spoke in a firm tone and Koenma sweated. The prince kept glancing back and forth between the two nervously. He directed most of his questions at Kurama, seeming to think the fox was less likely to attempt death or disfigurement.

Which was a good thing, as it was Kurama who had spent last night concocting a story about where and how they had agreed to the Kiss and why they had kept it a secret; Hiei wasn't clear on all the details, since he had only heard a hasty version of this fiction that morning. He just sat there nodding and glaring, and when Koenma directed a question to him he parried it with insolence: "Are you deaf? Kurama just answered that. I have no disagreement with what he said."

In the end, possibly aware of how outnumbered he was - Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan had all showed up to glare and generally look threatening - Koenma declared Hiei's Kiss legal. "Even though it's highly unusual, I don't suppose I should expect anything else from you two. And there are extenuating circumstances. Just note that this ruling may be reversed if further evidence ever comes to light." Hiei snarled at that, but Kurama chose to be gracious and thanked Koenma. Stupid fox.

Making a calculated show of indifference, as soon as the hearing was declared over Hiei got up and sauntered out. He had been intending to show Koenma how little he cared, but hadn't thought of Kurama; the next thing he knew he was breathing heavier, as though he had been running. He turned around.

Kurama came to a halt, having run after him. "Hiei, where are you going?"

Hiei shrugged. "Anywhere that's not here."

"Come and stay with me for a few days," Kurama entreated. "At least until we get adjusted to these new sensations." He looked apologetic. "I don't mean to constrain you, but I wouldn't be comfortable apart from you right now."

Well, hell. So much for the avoiding-Kurama-and-potential-awkwardness plan of attack. After the Kiss, and especially after falling asleep in his arms not once but twice last night, Hiei wasn't exactly sure where he stood with his partner. He had been planning on using his normal response to complicated emotions - flight.

"What about your school?" Hiei said warily. "And family? And all those other ningen things I'm sure you want to get back to."

"I can take a few days off from school. And Mother doesn't come up to the dorms very often. Hiei, please."

Hiei grunted his assent. Smiling, Kurama enfolded Hiei's smaller hand in his own and gently tugged him towards a different exit. Hiei followed, too surprised to comment or to jerk his hand back. Kurama had never done that before. _What does this mean?_

He had a feeling he would find out sooner than he had wanted to.

But his feeling proved incorrect. In fact, it felt like he learned everything in the next few days except where he and Kurama stood.

Kurama proposed a series of tests, in keeping with his logical nature, to discover the full effects of the Kiss. Neither of them had ever known any demons joined by the Kiss, so they weren't certain how far it extended. They sparred with each other to find out the affect on their fighting, and then they sparred with Yusuke one at a time while the other rested to discover how it felt. They practiced speaking in short sentences to give the other a chance to breathe; Hiei was surprised at how quickly he was becoming used to having his breath out of his control. They experimented with telepathy but aside from Hiei's regular abilities failed miserably; they did somewhat better, however, at guessing what the other was doing physically, as they felt an echo of it in their own bodies. Kurama held his finger in a candle flame to discover to what extent their injuries were shared, then healed them both.

They slept in the same bed every night, but it was partially out of necessity. There was no place else to sleep in Kurama's tiny dorm room. They kept close to each other in their sleep, but that too was from a lack of space - except it didn't feel like the entire reason. Hiei was reluctant to speak of what had changed.

After all, Kurama hadn't had a choice in that Kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

-1Chapter 6

"Hiei?"

"Don't worry, fox. I wasn't thinking about jumping."

Hiei was curled up on Kurama's windowsill, some seven stories above the ground as the building Kurama now stayed in was referred to as "the Tower." Kurama walked up behind him. "I was more concerned that you were thinking of leaving."

"Why - should I stay? Do you have any more tests for us?"

Kurama was silent for a moment. "No."

"Well, then."

"I was hoping you wanted to stay."

Hiei didn't respond right away. Kurama seemed to take the silence as negation. "It's okay, you don't have to," he said, with horrible false cheerfulness.

Hiei got down from the windowsill and wandered over to the bookcase. "Stupid fox," he muttered.

Kurama turned around to follow him with his eyes. "Well, you're not being very clear."

Hiei faced him, and drummed up his courage. "Is any of this very clear?"

Kurama pursed his lips. "No," he admitted. "Nothing's very clear to me right now."

Hiei found himself with no idea what to say, now that he had thrown down the conversational gauntlet. Kurama watched him with apparently infinite patience. Hiei sensed he was not getting out of this conversation. "Well, if I'm not being clear it's because nothing makes sense to me either."

Kurama moved to stand in front of Hiei, and held his eyes with his own. "Why did you do it, Hiei?"

"I already told you."

"Because you're stupid?"

Hiei shook his head very slightly. "The other part."

"Why?"

Hiei stared at Kurama, befuddled. "Why couldn't you imagine being without me?" Kurama clarified, blushing slightly.

Hiei struggled for a response, other than a shrug, which he knew wasn't going to cut it. Time to be brave again. "Let's just say," he said, with false casualness, "that it wasn't the first time I'd ever thought of kissing you."

"You mean kissing, or the Kiss?"

"Just--kissing. You know."

Kurama leaned forward, and brushed his lips against Hiei's. "Like that?"

Hiei's lips tingled. "Yeah. Like that."

"Or--" Kurama leaned forward again, kissing Hiei a little longer. "Or like that."

Hiei felt half a smirk cross his face, recognizing the fox's game. "No, more like--" He leaned up slightly and, throwing caution to the winds, kissed Kurama thoroughly. "Like that."

"I see. Well, that seems to be an excellent reason for keeping me around."

"Exactly," Hiei said, wrapping his arms around Kurama's waist. "Who else am I going to kiss?"

"No one," Kurama growled warningly.

It was a full smirk that crossed Hiei's face this time. "No one," he agreed.

Hiei had never kissed anyone else, so he had no idea whether the bond he and Kurama now shared affected what they did, made it more pleasurable. All he knew was that it was what he had dreamed about.

When they broke apart for a minute, panting, Kurama said, "If it makes any difference, Hiei, I'm very glad you kissed me. In more ways than one."

"That's a relief," Hiei admitted. "I'd hate to bind you up like this without your consent."

Kurama kissed him again, lightly. "Consider it consented."

A/N: This may prove to be the last chapter of this fic. I'm sorry for the long updates and quick conclusion, but I'm absolutely run dry on inspiration. I am toying with an idea for another chapter, though, so we'll see.


	7. Epilogue

A/N: Well, after that last chapter giving me so much trouble this practically wrote itself. This is the end this time, folks. But I should be posting the first chapter of a new story, in which Hiei gets to be extremely jealous, soon, so keep an eye out.

Epilogue

Several months after that conversation, they again found themselves lying in the same bed, again from necessity, as they had just gotten through with a major mission from Koenma and were in desperate need of some rest. It was nearly three in the morning and they had just barely returned to Kurama's dorm room, which Hiei had been inhabiting off and on for the last few months. He spent a great deal more time with Kurama now, for it was unnerving being away from him and suddenly having his breathing stall or heart pound without knowing why. But there were other reasons too.

_And other benefits_, Hiei ammended, snuggling closer to his fox. Cozy, warm, cuddly benefits. None of which Hiei would ever admit to liking out loud. But from the sidelong looks and snickers he caught Yusuke and Kuwabara and Botan and Koenma and hell, just about everyone, engaging in, it was no secret.

He found he didn't care as much as he'd thought he would. It was Kurama, after all, that he was engaging in this cozy warmth with; Kurama, who was also a deadly killer and demon to be reckoned with. Kurama, who he trusted and lov--

Hiei sat bolt upright in bed. Kurama followed him up. "Hiei?"

"I just realized something," Hiei said, staring randomly at the wall.

"What?"

"I--nothing."

"You nothing, that's what you realized?"

Hiei lay back down, and Kurama followed him, cuddling up to his side. "Tell me."

_What the hell._ "I just realized I loved you," Hiei said, trying to keep his tone casual.

He couldn't look at Kurama. There was a moment of silence, a moment that seemed to stretch into eternity for Hiei. Just as he was thinking he had better look at the fox he heard a soft, "Oh." Then, conversationally, "Well, it took you long enough."

Hiei's head snapped around. The expression on his face must have been truly worthwhile because Kurama, already smiling, began to shake with repressed laughter. "It took me long enough?" Hiei repeated incredulously.

Kurama nodded, and then couldn't keep from laughing any longer. Hiei stared for a moment, then growled and climbed over the chortling fox, pinning his wrists to the bed. "You," he said firmly, "are an idiot."

"But you love me."

"I love you."

Kurama leaned up for a kiss; Hiei met him eagerly. He released the fox's hands when Kurama struggled and was rewarded by arms wrapping firmly around his waist and pulling him close. "I love you too," Kurama finally consented to murmur into Hiei's ear.

"Took you long enough," Hiei growled.

Kurama kissed his eartip. "I love you, I love every second I spend with you, I love that you're onery and stubborn and I love that we're bound together by that Kiss. I wouldn't want to exist without you."

And Kurama pulled a very overwhelmed Hiei back down to the bed for a prolonged cuddle. It took Hiei a minute to get his voice back.

"I'm glad too," he said hoarsely. "Very glad."


End file.
